Plans under way to extend supply and distribution of water to Mampongteng

The Ministry of Works and Housing has embarked on a programme to extend the supply and distribution of water to Mampongteng, Pankrono and Ahwiaa, all in the Ashanti Region.

The laying of 300-millimetre mains extension from Suame Round About to Old Tafo and the 400 millimetres mains extension from Old Tafo to Mamponteng has been completed.

Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, the Sector Minister said this on Thursday when answering Parliamentary Question by Mr Osei-Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, NPP-Old Tafo-Suame.

Mr Abraham Ossei Aidoo, NPP-Tema West on behalf of Mr Bonsu asked the Minister when work would resume on the relaying of the pipelines from Old Tafo to Pankrono, Ahwiaa Duase and the other neighbouring settlements.

Alhaji Idris said the works began in 1998 and entails the construction of a booster station at Pankrono including ground tank, Booster House with two sets pump and overhead tank, distribution of pipelines of 5 kilometres to 100 PVC pipes and storage tank of 245 cubic metres at Mampongteng.

He said the costs of the outstanding works estimated to cost about 1.4 billion cedis has been captured under the World Bank Financial Water Sector Restructuring Project Priority Civil Works scheduled for 2004.

Alhaji Idris said pipeline extension to Antoa to also serve Duase has begun and its completion as well as the Booster at Pankrono and elevated tank facilities at Buokrom would provide adequate water to serve Duase and Antoa.

The Minister said it has been programmed to affect the entire project in 2004 and called for support of the communities to ensure its execution.

Mr Aidoo in another question asked how soon the project would be completed and the Minister said there has to be a relocation of other utility services as well as looking at other options and assessing the HIPC Fund to ensure its early completion.

The Member of Parliament asked whether alternative arrangements have been made in the meantime to provide potable water to the communities in the area and Alhaji Idris said mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that the people have potable water.

Alhaji Amadu Seidu, NDC- Yapei/Kusawgu asked to what extent the extension works would affect general water supply to other areas in the Kumasi metropolis. The Minister said in the mean time rationing of water has begun while desilting and dredging of some of the water sources are to be undertaken to ensure continuous supply of water to the communities.

Alhaji Idris said most of the water systems have been installed over a long period and have outlived their purpose and therefore, need re-capitalisation to meet the demands of the new communities.

Nana Asante-Frempong, NPP-Kwabre asked whether the new water system would not affect the operations of the existing water project in the Mamponteng area, and the Minister said the Community Water and Sanitation Agency and the Ghana Water and Sewerage Company (GWSC) work in close collaboration to tackle water problems at both the urban and rural areas.

Mr Albert Abongo, NDC-Bongo asked whether the support from the World Bank is on condition that the GWSC would be privatised and the Minister said the arrangement is for private sector participation so as to re-capitalise the water sector.

Alhaji Idris said the Ministry has a master distribution list that would ensure that various communities have access to potable water within a five-year period but expressed concern about the activities of people along the water sources that impact negatively on water supply.

Mr Joseph Darko-Mensah, NPP-Okaikwei North asked what plans the ministry has to identify additional water systems and the Minister it is looking at the existing structures to improve on them, explore other avenues of sources and embark on desilting and dredging of the existing dams.